When people come together to pursue common goals, good things can happen. The same is true when organizations join forces. That has been the experience of incoming ARP President Rebecca (Becki) Cleveland, PhD, MPH, who plans to encourage both.
Dr. Cleveland earned her MPH from Tulane University, New Orleans, and her doctorate in epidemiology from University of North Carolina-Chapel-Hill (UNC-Chapel-Hill), where she has worked since 2005, including in a faculty position at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center (TARC), where she is a member. She is currently the director of biostatistical operations for the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute.
Dr. Cleveland
In preparing to step into her role as ARP president, Dr. Cleveland spoke with The Rheumatologist (TR) to share her plans to promote communication, teamwork and joint ACR/ARP collaboration to ultimately serve members of the ARP—and the ACR—better.
TR: How did you get interested in rheumatology?
Dr. Cleveland: I took a very circuitous route. My master’s degree focused on environmental epidemiology, and my PhD was in cancer epidemiology. It may seem strange to take this path, but epidemiology itself is a set of tools: You apply the same methods whether you’re studying diseases, exposures or other factors. So when I started working with TARC in 2011, it was a natural transition to rheumatology. That was my first introduction to the field, and I thought, ‘This is what I’m meant to be doing.’
TR: How so?
Dr. Cleveland: I was immediately very interested in osteoarthritis, which is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. As a lifelong athlete, I understood how devastating arthritis can be. Over the years, I’ve seen that play out in some of my athlete friends. From the start, I saw the importance of reducing the impact of osteoarthritis, particularly through physical activity, and I knew I wanted to be part of that work.
TR: When did you become involved in volunteering for the ARP and the ACR?
Dr. Cleveland: When I joined TARC, my mentor and collaborator—and past president of the ARP—Leigh Callahan, encouraged me to volunteer. [Leigh Callahan, MD, is the Mary Link Briggs Distinguished Professor of Medicine at UNC-Chapel-Hill and associate director at TARC.] She told me it would help me learn more about rheumatology, while also offering opportunities to connect and network. She was absolutely right. Volunteering gave me insight into how the organization functions and helped me learn what educational and other products are available. More importantly, it helped me build valuable professional relationships and collaborations.
For me, volunteering for the ARP and the ACR has been invaluable. I think it holds particular value for those early in their careers, but honestly anyone, no matter where they are in their careers, can gain a great deal by volunteering for the ARP or the ACR.
TR: What are some of the many ways you have volunteered over the years?
Dr. Cleveland: My first volunteer role was with the Annual Meeting Planning Subcommittee (AMPC), where I eventually became the abstract chair. After that, I served on the ARP Subcommittee on Research, later serving as chair. I’ve been a member of the ACR Committee on Finance. Beyond that, I’ve served as a statistical editor for Arthritis Care & Research. I’ve held positions on the ARP Executive Committee, and I’m the current co-chair of the ACR/ARP Membership and Awards Committee (MAC). Being a part of the MAC is important and rewarding work, including the continued optimization of our membership model and the streamlining of the awards nomination process. But the really fun part is being able to recognize more than 40 of our amazing members with awards!
TR: The ARP also singled you out for a 2021 President’s Award to note your outstanding service in advancing the goals, ideals and standards of the association.
Dr. Cleveland: I was very honored to receive that award from Past President Christine Stamatos. [Christine Stamatos, DNP, RN, ANP-C, NP in adult health at Northwell Health Physician Partners Rheumatology, Huntington, N.Y., and assistant professor at Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, Hempstead, N.Y.] And honestly, once I started volunteering, I got hooked and couldn’t stop. It is an honor to serve the ARP and contribute to it being the premier resource for our members and to uphold our mission of empowering rheumatology professionals to excel in their specialty.
TR: Through that considerable volunteer work, you have been involved in many topics that affect the membership of both the ARP and the ACR. How will that influence your term as the ARP president?
Dr. Cleveland: Early on serving on the ARP AMPC Subcommittee, I learned the value of partnering with the ACR to help create joint ARP/ACR sessions that were relevant for many of our members across the College. That experience led me to become a proponent of bringing together programs of the ARP and the ACR that share similar goals and interests, including strong continued support for combining the separate Committees on Research from each organization. By joining forces, we can share resources, cut down on overlap and make a bigger impact. We are stronger together.
As the ARP president, I would like to continue to strengthen the ACR/ARP partnerships. Our members work together in practice, and when we bring both groups together, we will benefit from greater diversity and experiences.
TR: What else are you hoping to do as president of the ARP?
Dr. Cleveland: I would like increase the visibility of the ARP and highlight the benefits of membership, both to attract new members and re-engage those whose memberships have lapsed. One approach is more targeted outreach to individual members, showing them exactly what resources we offer and how to access them. We already have a lot of online educational content, but a 2024 membership survey indicated that many members struggle to find specific materials. That’s certainly an issue we can address.
TR: Will you be addressing other obstacles or challenges for rheumatology professionals?
Dr. Cleveland: Absolutely. Some of today’s biggest challenges stem from federal policy decisions that affect research funding and Medicare reimbursements. These uncertainties impact all medical fields, but we in rheumatology, as a small subspecialty, must be proactive.
We are fortunate to have a strong advocacy team that stays on top of the latest developments and is getting the ears of our Congress people. That is vital because things are changing daily. Those on the advocacy team keep our members informed with regular updates and encourage our rheumatology professionals to reach out with concerns. They truly want to hear from our members. And the ARP wants our members to know we are on the job, working hard for better results, and there are reasons to be optimistic.
TR: Are there any other initiatives you’ll be working on in the coming year?
Dr. Cleveland: Workforce shortages continue to be an area of focus. I’d also like to continue to support a dedicated program to recruit new people into the field, while enhancing training for our advanced practice providers (APPs) so they can feel confident and well prepared. Supporting those already in the field while attracting the next generation is key to our future.
TR: By way of introducing you to the membership, what would you like to share about yourself that members may not know?
Dr. Cleveland: A couple of things that come to mind. First, I have been an athlete all my life. I’ve played ultimate Frisbee (a very physical team sport) at the highest level, including national championships, for more than 25 years. While I no longer compete at that level, I still play in local leagues and have taken up tennis—a more age-appropriate sport at this stage.
Second, I served in the Peace Corps right after college, spending two-and-a-half years in a small village in Benin, West Africa, working on a Guinea worm-eradication project. That experience sparked my interest in epidemiology, and while it was sometimes challenging, it also taught me resilience, adaptability and how to navigate uncertainty.
Leslie Mertz, PhD, is a freelance science journalist based in northern Michigan.
